Getting Organized to Live Happier

by Stephen M.
(Reno, NV, US)

I recently had an extremely challenging project for my workplace. I was a store manager for a major coffee company, and my boss asked me to manage two locations, after another manager abruptly gave notice.

This was a terrific career opportunity and I knew it would really endear me to my boss, but I also knew it meant working 12-hour days and taking work calls from two separate staff on my time off.

I needed to learn how to take good care of myself, and minimize my stress levels as much as possible during this time. I almost immediately realized I needed to eat better and keep healthy if I wanted to be successful during this busy period.

I was notorious for skipping lunch, and by the day’s end, I was ravenous and frequently cranky from lowered blood sugar. So I bought myself an insulated lunch bag and started packing healthy food with me – things like fiber bars, string cheese, and pre-sliced fruit and veggies.

That way, no matter how slammed I was at work, I could eat in smaller increments and still be in reasonable emotional and physical condition.

This turned out to be a great idea! I actually lost ten pounds during this time period, even though I was eating much more frequently than before –and much more healthier- and I was significantly happier and easier to deal with throughout the day.

I also knew that I had to create some sort of stability in my schedule, so both stores could count on me to be consistently accessible to them, but yet I could still accomplish my normal workload.

I decided to begin work an hour earlier. This shortened my commute time by almost fifteen minutes, and I found that the quiet morning hours were a great opportunity for me to knock a lot of administrative tasks out. I was much more relaxed as the day heated up, because I had so much of my to-do list crossed off already.

Finally, I knew that I had to reserve some time for myself to unwind throughout this busy period. I told both store teams they could contact me at any time they needed me – EXCEPT from between 7-9pm. I delegated assistants at each store to be available for phone calls during this two-hour block.

This allowed me to fit in both dinner with my family (a very important tradition for us), plus a soothing walk after dinner. It was a challenging three months, to be sure, but I learned how to manage my time, and I wound up really enjoying myself.

I also have a great new skill – managing multiple business units – to add to my resume. In retrospect, I’m really happy I had that “stressful” experience!